Live Q&A: making a merger work

Trafford Healthcare Trust’s experience

The formal announcement to the trust’s staff and to the public was made at the beginning of December 2010. “The trust board has concluded we are too small to remain viable by ourselves, we have to become part of a larger organisation, it is not realistic to apply for foundation status”.  

Trafford Healthcare Trust was labouring with an historic deficit of £8.3m dating back to 2006 and was below the critical mass required to successfully apply for foundation status. It was in this context that the trust board decided at the end of November 2010 that the only viable option was to seek a merger with another organisation. A process began which culminated in a merger with Central Manchester University Hospitals Trust.

Are you facing a similar situation? Could you learn from Trafford and Central Manchester’s experiences? Please submit your questions in the comments section below. Our experts will be answering your questions in the comments section of this article on 19 October at 9am.

See ‘A merger was our only viable option’ for more background and detailed documentation on the merger.

Our expert panel

• Jessica Bradshaw is former director of human resources at Trafford Healthcare Trust and acquisition project director
• Stephen Gardner is Trafford Healthcare Trust acquisition project director, Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust